Insulated glass structures are known which comprise two spaced parallel glazings having spacer elements positioned around the periphery of the glazings and extending into the spacing between the glazings in order to position the glazings apart. Such constructions usually have a sealant applied between the spacer elements and glazings in order to hermetically seal the chamber formed by the space between the glazings. Often in such constructions venetian blind assemblies are suspended between end spacer elements positioned at opposite ends or sides of the insulated glass construction such that the blind assembly is positioned between the spaced glazings. In order to assure an aesthetically attractive blind assembly and to provide good tilt control, tape cables supporting the individual slats of the blind assembly are often tensioned. The tension forces in the cables is taken up or resisted by the spacer elements between which the venetian blind assembly is suspended and if, as is the usual case, the spacer elements are made of a light sheet metal construction, the elements may bend or deflect under the tension forces imparted by the tape cables. Such bending or deflection may result in loosening of the tape cables in turn causing poor tilt control and misalignment of slats to present a poor appearance. Further bending or deflection of a spacer element may break the seal between the sealant and the spacer element thus allowing leakage of air and moisture into the space formed by spaced parallel glazings.
The sealant is usually applied between a spacer element and the glazings under considerable pressure to insure elimination of voids. This pressure is sufficient in many instances to itself deflect a spacer element resulting in an unattractive appearance or contact with a blind assembly positioned between glazings. This latter problem is particularly objectionable when the spacer element is positioned adjacent the ends of the slats of a blind assembly since it may interfere with tilting or lifting of the slats.
While the end spacer elements between which a venetian blind assembly is suspended may be made of a heavier stronger material than sheet metal to withstand bending, this would necessarily increase manufacturing expense. The spacer elements often comprise hollow structures and while the voids within the structures could be filled with structural elements, the insertion of such elements would increase the cost of assembly and would fill spaces in which a desiccate material is normally positioned.
Other structural configurations of end spacer elements might be provided in order to increase the moment of inertia of the elements to resist bending forces, such as providing structural extensions extending from the bending plane either by shaping the spacer elements to provide an integral extension or by adding additional structure. This results however in decreasing the visible area of the insulated glass construction and making the spacer visibly more apparent. Further increasing the moment of inertia by shaping elements to provide integral extensions necessarily results in increased tooling expense and requires a special inventory of relatively expensive spacer elements which would differ in configuration from spacer elements not having a blind assembly suspended therebetween.
It is therefore an object of my invention to provide for an insulated glass spacer support which may be utilized with an existing spacer element from which a venetian blind assembly may be suspended where the support overcomes deflection or bending of the spacer element caused by tension or weight of a venetian blind assembly or which may be used to provide a support for a spacer element to prevent deflection due to pressure of a sealant bearing on the element.